The BJCTA and the City of Birmingham host a ground breaking for the new $30 million Intermodal Facility
By: Elle Petties
On Friday March 7th at 2 o’clock p.m., the City of Birmingham, the Birmingham-Jefferson-County Transit Authority (BJCTA), and the Federal Transit Authority (FTA) hosted a ceremonial ground breaking for Birmingham’s new $30 million intermodal facility.
The new facility will house MAX transit, Amtrak Passenger Rail and the Greyhound bus service, expanding a whopping three-block area along Morris Avenue between 16th and 19th streets.
Although some details on the new facility are still under debate, Mayor Bell stated that, “the proof is in the pudding,” and that “[Friday’s] ground breaking symbolizes the end of a long journey to clear major hurdles blocking progress.”
In regards to the cost of the new intermodal facility, George Thomson, deputy regional administrator for the FTA said, “How can you afford not to build it? The City could save $750 thousand a year if each bus rider got seven or nine people to ride the bus. With Federal funds covering 80 percent of the cost of construction, the new facility’s benefits are well worth its cost.”
The facility is due for completion sometime in mid-2015. Construction is set for mid-summer and Modular buildings will go up on the lot of 17th Street and Morris Avenue as a temporary home for MAX Transit’s Central Station.
